Rail-joint.



PATENTED JAN. 15, 1907.' A. B. BOMAN.

RAIL JOINT, TION F UNITED STATEB ANNA ELISABETH BOMAN, OF FARGO, NORTH DAKOTA.

RAIL-JOINT.

Specification of Letters Patent. Applicatibn fil d July 25, 1906. Serial No. 327,652.

No. 841,482. Patented Jan. 15, 1907.

The tops of the head. A B of the rails A and Be it known that I, ANNA ELISABETH BO- l B are provided at their ends with recesses A MAN, a citizen of the United States, and a and B engaged by tongues O C projecting resident of Fargo, in the county of Cass and from the ends of the head 0 of the connect- State of North Dakota, have invented a new ing-piece C, which latter is provided with and Improved Rail-Joint, of which the foldownwardly-extending sides C 0 stradlowing is a full, clear, and exact description. dling the ends of the webs A B as will be The invention relates to railways; and its readily understood by reference to Fig. 5. object is to provide a new and improved rail- The lower ends of the sides O C terminate joint arranged to allow ready expansion and in outwardly and downwardly extending contraction of the adjacent rails and to preflanges C O, fitting over the bases A and B vent the undesirable clicking when the carof the rails A and B, and the flange C is prowheels pass over the joint. vided with apertures C registering with cor- The invention consists of novel features responding apertures A B formed in the and parts and combinations of the same, bases A and B and the said .registering which will be more fully described hereinapertures C and A and C B are adapted to after and then pointed out in the claims. be engaged by spikes D of any approved con- A practical embodiment of the invention struction and driven down into the ties supis represented in the accompanying drawporting the rails at the joint. ings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure 1 is a plan view of the improvement. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is a similar view of the same, showing the connecting-piece removed and part broken out. Fig. 4 is a transverse section of the improvement on the line 4 4 of Fig.1. Fig. 5 is a similar view of the same on the line 5 5 of Fig. 1. Fig. 6 is a side elevation of the connecting-piece for the ends of adjacent rails, and Fig. 7 is a perspective view of one of the spikes for fastening the joint and rails to the railroad-ties.

The rails A and B, tobe connected with each other by the connectin -piece C, have the ends of their heads A andfid cut out, and the ends of the webs A B of the said rails are interlocked with each other, and for this purpose the web A is provided at its end with a longitudinally-extending recess A (see Fig. 3,) into which fits a tongue B projecting from the terminal of the web B The tongue B increases in height from the inner end to the outer end, as plainly indicated in Fig. 3, and the recess A is correspondingly shifted so that the rails A and B when placed l in position are moved transversely one toward the other, so that the tongue B engages the recess A in a transverse direction. Now when the tongue B engages the recess A then the rails A and B are prevented from drawing apart; but the tongue B fits sufficiently loose in the recess A to allow the usual expansion and contraction of the rails.

To all whom, it may concern:

necting-piece O has its head C forming a continuation of the head A B of the rails A and B, and as the tongues C 0 project into the recesses A B in the tops of the heads A B it is evident that a continuous surface is provided for the car-wheels to travel on, and consequently the undesirable clicking or hammering now experienced in rails jointed in the ordinary way is completely obviated.

In order to give the desired strength to the rails, the heads A B are reinforced at the ends by thickening the end portions of the webs A B as indicated at A and B, it being understood that the ends of the connecting piece C abut against the inner edges of the thickened portions A and B The rail-j oint shown and described is Very simple and durable in construction, and no bolts or similar fastening devices are required for connecting the piece C with the ends of the rails A and B, and at the same time the rails, as well as the connecting-piece, are sel curely held in place by the spikes D, driven into the ties supporting the rail at the joint.

From the foregoing it will be seen that the joint is practically sufficiently flexible to accommodate the usual movement of the rails.

Having thus described my invention, 1 claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. A rail-joint, comprising adjacent rails having a portion of the tread thereof cut away, and having the tread recessed longitudinally adjacent to the cut-away portion, the web of one rail having a transverse dovetail By the arrangement described the con' IIO opening and the other a dovetail tongue fitting the longitudinal recesses whereby to tlng loosely in the opening, and a connectingrender the ad acent rails continuous.

.piece having atread fitting the cut-away por- 3. A rail-joint, comprising adjacent rails tion of the rails, and provided at each end having a portion of the tread thereof re- 25 with tongues engaging the recesses, and moved, the web of one rail having a dovetail downwardly-extending sides fitting on each transverse opening, and the web of the other side of the web of the rails, said sides having rail having a transverse dovetail tongue fita flange fitting over the edge of the rail and ting loosely in the opening whereby to preprovided with spike-receiving openings. vent a longitudinal separation of the ends of 0 2. A rail-joint, comprising adjacent rails the rails, and a connecting-piece having a having portions of the tread thereof removed tread fitting the cut-away portion of the rails and having the tread adjacent to the 'cutand sides depending upon each side of the away portion recessed longitudinally, the webs of the rails.

web of one of the rails having a transverse In testimony whereof I have signed my 3 5 opening at the end, and the web of the other name to this specification in the presence of rail havirig tongule1 projecting from its end two subscribing witnesses.

and oose y tting t e said recess, and a connecting-piece having a tread fitting in the ANNA ELISABETH BOMAN' cut-away portions, and sides depending upon Witnesses:

each side of the webs of the rails and tongues G. E. NIoHoLs,

extending from the ends of the tread and fit- J. A.v J OHNSONF 

